Q&A: Corona boss is welded to his work

Invention is Bob White Jr.'s business. He is the president and chief of engineering design at Janda Co. Inc. in Corona, a company that invents welding machinery to make parts for manufacturers of products ranging from home appliances to automobiles, airplanes, furniture, houses and commercial buildings.

Co-founded in 1960 by White's father who died three years ago, Janda remains a family business. White Jr., 45, who learned every aspect of the business since his youth, is joined by two sisters. One sister, Sheri Drieling, runs the office and another, Rhoda Burton, works in sales. Janet White, their mother, holds the title of chief executive, although she leaves it to her children to operate the business, White said.

With Janda projected to do about $6 million in worldwide sales in its current fiscal year that ends in October and anticipating 20 percent growth next year, business has never been better, said White. He said like most other companies, Janda endured a sharp decline in sales in 2008 through 2009 but has since bounced back.

White talks with excitement about the prospects for a giant welding machine he has designed to produce steel studs that are stronger, lighter and cheaper to manufacture than the studs now used by the construction industry. White said if this new line of business is as successful as he expects, he will probably open another factory outside California, perhaps in Texas. But he said he plans to keep the Corona facility.

White said in recent years he has sadly watched many of his California customers close their doors or relocate to Mexico, China or states in the South that are more welcoming to manufacturing and impose fewer taxes and regulations. He said two decades ago California manufacturers represented 90 percent of Janda's sales. Now it is about 20 percent. "Everybody is moving out of state," he said.

Q: Does the relocation of customers to other states hurt your business?

A: It makes our sales that much harder. People we knew here retire and they are replaced by new people at other facilities. Then we could have a communications problem. So we have to travel to meet them.

Q: How did you build back your business after seeing it decline 40 percent in the recession?

A: Business has picked up for our customers in other parts of the U.S. and in other countries. We have a lot going on in Mexico and Canada. Also we are going after areas of business where we didn't before.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a manager?

A: Mainly keeping the sales coming in and getting the product out. It used to be five or six years ago that if we provided quotes for five jobs, we would get three or four of them. Now if we quote 20 jobs we get two because the rest of the jobs are cancelled. Customers are getting bids and then realizing they can't afford it right now.

Q: What are your strengths?

A: Sales and engineering. I design everything we have here.

Q: How do you find people to hire?

A: When we get ready to hire someone I let the guys in the back know and they usually know someone who would like to work for us. We go from there.

Q: Is it difficult to know who is going to work out?

A: In about the first week we know if they are going to make it by their work ethic. We can tell if they want to work hard and learn. If they just want to come here and be lazy, we let them go and get somebody else.

Q: Do they need particular skills?

A: I like to start them low and work them up the ladder so they learn the way we like to do things here.

Q: What is your day like?

A: I get here about five in the morning and go through my e-mails and telephone calls. Everyone else here starts at 7 or 8. I come in earlier so I can contact customers in different time zones.

Q: Do you take your work home with you?

A: Oh, yes. I am here in the office 12 hours a day and work at home two to three hours, sometimes more, at night.

Q: Where do you go from here?

A: I want to grow but not too much. The question is how much growth we can do without losing control.

Q: If the company got much larger wouldn't you have to give up sales and engineering to concentrate on management?

A: And that's no fun. I like getting my hands dirty. I'm having fun.

Bob White Jr.

Title: President

Company: Janda Co. Inc.

Founded: 1960 in Whittier. Moved to Santa Fe Springs, then Anaheim and Corona in 1984.